NAGC Communications Director speaks to Russian delegates

By
Derrick G. Silas (
Деррик Дж. Сайлас),
Communications Director for the National Association of GovernmentCommunicators and Web Communications Developer for the City of Enid (Oklahoma).

In October 2012, I had the
privilege of speaking to Russian delegates who visited Enid, Oklahoma as part
of the Open World Program. The program brings young political and civic leaders
from Russia, Ukraine, and other Eurasian countries to the United States for
short-term professional trips. Established by Congress in 1999 on a bipartisan
basis, the Open World program also aids Congress with interparliamentary and other
legislative activities, and links Members of Congress with Main Street
citizen-ambassadors engaged in public diplomacy. The purpose of the
program is to strengthen the democratic process in those countries.

Participants included: Yuriy
Sergeyevich Kosyrev, deputy chairman of city construction and architecture of
Kurchatov, Kursk Oblast, Russia; Aleksey Ivanovich Krupin, administration head
of Palckhskiy provincial district administration, of Palekh, Ivanovo Oblast;
Sergey Nikolayevich Lavokin, administration head of Brasovskiy provincial
financial district; Sergey Viktorovich Melnikov, deputy mayor, Kaliningrad,
Kaliningrad Oblast; Yelena Nikolayevna Volova, head of the Kaliningrad city
government public relations department; and Pavel Vladimirovich Pavlov, an
associate professor at Kursk State University.
The government officials and communicators were
accompanied by Yulia Willougby, interpreter for the group.

While in Enid, Oklahoma,
the government officials toured the Enid Woodring Airport, Oklahoma State
University, Enid Railroad Museum, AdvancePierre, Continental Resources, Pollard
Farm, Vance Aifr Force Base, Cherokee Strip Regional Heritage Museum, Oklahoma
State Capitol, YWCA, Hope Outreach, Autry Technology, Northern Oklahoma
College, and Leonardo’s Discovery Warehouse. The delegates attended the
Enid Symphony Orchestra concert, Enid’s “Scare on the Square,” and various
receptions, luncheons, and dinner events.

The delegation’s visit
focused on accountable governance. I spoke to the delegation about the media
and government, media’s role in politics, role of the government communicator,
platforms for government and public relations, and building trust and
transparency in government communications.

It was an honor to take
part in this historic event. I couldn’t miss an opportunity to tell them about
the organization we have in the United States for government communicators, the
National Association of Government Communicators (NAGC). I told them all about
the NAGC and the 2013 Communications School in Washington, DC. Many of them
were interested and may eventually attend a communications school to learn more
about how government officials in the United States handle government
communications to the public.

www.nagconline.org | http://governmentcommunicators.blogspot.com |http://twitter.com/nagc | http://youtube.com/nagconline
NAGC: Good Communication…Good Government

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